As the Obama administration faces controversy for stepping up deportation efforts, a viral video showing the arrest of an undocumented immigrant in California illustrates the effect such measures are having on families residing in the United States.

The footage, obtained and published by Univision, shows the violent apprehension of Nidia Yadira Viniegra Villalobos by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. The arrest occurred as the young woman was taking her three children to school in Los Angeles, the Spanish-language television network reported.

'They Slammed Her Hard," Child Says

According to the channel, when Viniegra Villalobos refused to step out of her vehicle, agents destroyed the windows of the car. The mother and two of her children, aged 13 and 16, were all initially handcuffed. The minors, along with a 3-year-old baby sibling, were later released into the custody of their grandmother, Univision detailed.

"When they removed my mom, they slammed the car, and they slammed her hard," one of the children, whom Univision did not identify by name, told the network. "Afterwards, two men removed me (from the car) and threw me on the ground."

An unidentified spokeswoman from the ICE office in San Diego told Univision that the agency was not yet aware of the footage and could not comment on the details of the arrest. ICE confirmed, however, that Viniegra Villalobos had been arrested. She was charged with violating visa conditions and was further accused of links to a human trafficking organization.

Arrested Woman Denied Links to Smuggling Group

According to the official, the smuggling group is led by Martel Valencia, whom authorities believe to be Viniegra Villalobos' partner. However, María Viniegra, the mother of the arrested woman, told Univision that her daughter and Valencia were not legally married and were not currently involved in any relationship.

The latest raids, which have been carried out since late December, have drawn widespread criticism from immigration activists and leaders in the Latino community, The Huffington Post noted.

"ICE used tactics during the raids that potentially are illegal and violate the constitution and that in several of these cases it appears that proper consent was not obtained to enter the houses," Southern Poverty Law Center attorney Eunice Cho told the publication earlier this month.

Related